Albania, like Italy and France, has alpine mountains piercing the sky, a riviera with clear waters, a rich food culture, ancient history and medieval villages. – Where there is everything that millions of tourists lack – writes Robert P. Walze in an article published in the American daily “The Wall Street Journal“.
This small Balkan country deserves to be on your travel list, he writes.
Passionate about adventure cycling, once a year a friend of mine and I plan a bike trip.
This year, we had the opportunity to explore a new corner of the globe.
Dedicated to this activity, we have managed to explore some of the well-known destinations such as France and Spain, and some less well-known ones, such as Ethiopia.
However, when my friend suggested this year’s destination – Albania – I had my doubts.
After researching Albania, I discovered that just like Italy and France, this small Mediterranean country had high alpine mountains, a riviera with clear turquoise waters, a rich food culture, ancient history and medieval villages.
Not surprisingly, the former Ottoman province is making waves among discerning visitors – first Europeans and now, an increasing number of Americans.
Albania joined NATO in 2009 and has since become a candidate country for membership in the European Union.
A new international airport and several state-of-the-art hotels will open next year, and a luxury resort on the island is being planned by Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
But three decades after the fall of the repressive communist dictatorship, this Balkan country still feels undiscovered.
When my friend and I arrived in the capital, Tirana, at the end of September, the alpine air was still warm.
To manage our trip, we hired a local cycling guide, a black American immigrant who, trying to escape American politics and racism, had moved to Albania as a digital nomad three years earlier.
During a 5-day journey through the coastal cities of Vlora, Himara, Saranda and Ksamil, as well as the Stone Town of Gjirokastra, we pedaled a winding mountain road surrounded by pine and fir trees.
At various points, the stunning views of the Ionian and Adriatic seas reminded us of the US Pacific Coast and Italy’s Amalfi Coast.
Along the way we ate pie, a cheese-filled pastry similar to Greece’s spanakopita.
Also in our diet were fish, pasta and pizza – all reflections of Albania’s close cultural ties with Italy, its neighbor across the Adriatic.
Across the country, the cost of a lavish dinner with wine was less than $20, and accommodation in a four-star hotel under $100.
On a rainy day, we visited the strategically important Porto Palermo Castle, built by the legendary 19th century Albanian ruler, Ali Pasha, on a beautiful bay to strengthen his control over the region.
The impressive castle, which was a Soviet submarine base during Albania’s communist era, was not on the gigantic scale of Carcassonne in southern France.
In the coastal village of Vlora, where Albania declared independence in 1912, we were the only visitors to the National Museum of Independence in a small building where the first government ruled.
Surrounded by images of Albania’s founding fathers with mustaches and some in flat-topped hats, a local guide filled us in on the history of the area – all included in the $3 entrance fee.
We encountered a throng of visitors in Gjirokastra, a mountainous UNESCO World Heritage site dramatically capped by a Byzantine-era fortress.
Visitors entered the 1000-year-old cobbled village with an old-world charm similar to cities like Siena or Bruges.
Its center is separated, not by a cathedral, but by a towering minaret of the city’s Great Mosque, set amidst a colorful bazaar.
The famous Gjirokastra castle was quieter, perhaps because the curious had to climb more on foot to reach its top.
But the trip was worth it, especially for the fascinating museum that chronicles Albania’s colorful military past.
Artifacts inside include a 1950s-era US Air Force fighter that Albania says it captured during a raid.
In the outdoor courtyard of the “Seaside Hotel” in Vlorë, we had a conversation with the friendly owner, Agron Agalliu.
The warm hospitality that Albanians are known for – showed as he served us glasses of homemade raki and explained in detail how this traditional Albanian drink was made.
In Tirana, we met Harel Kopelman, an Israeli-American resident who co-founded a cultural center called “Albanian Night”, in one of the capital’s ubiquitous coffee bars.
“America is popular in Albania, partly because of President Wilson’s advocacy for Albanian independence after World War I and President Clinton’s intervention in the war in Kosovo, which is populated by ethnic Albanians,” he said.
“Albania is like the 51st country”, he added.
“People here love Americans. Speaking for myself, I can now say that the feeling is completely mutual,” he said.
Are you going to the Albanian Riviera? Book a flight to Corfu, Greece and take an hour ferry to Saranda.
Accommodation:
“Xheko Imperial Luxury Hotel & SPA” in Tirana’s embassy-filled block has a bar and restaurant with panoramic views of the city and the surrounding mountains (from about $300).
In the town of Vlora, the Priam Hotel Luxury Resort is a stylish beachfront option (from $250 to $700 in summer).
Food:
In Tirana, “Sofra e Ariut” serves delicious traditional Albanian food in a wooden house located in a green park.
Something a little more modern? “Salt Tirana” offers a varied menu, focused on seafood, sushi and many other foods.
